Yieldable overlap hinge



R. E. SLOPA YIELDABLE OVERLAP HINGE Filed Jan. 5, 1949 Patented Mar. 3,1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Robert E. Slopa, Chicago, 111.,assignor of onehalf to George W. Slopa, Chicago, Ill.

Application January 5, 1949, Serial No. time?) 2 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to improvements in adjustable hingeassemblies and is particu larly concerned with a novel, ruggedlyconstruct ed, yieldable hinge structure especially adapted for use onrefrigerator chamber doors or the like.

The hinge structure disclosed herein is generally concerned with thetype of overlap hinge having manually manipulable means to adjust thedoor-supporting link relative to the hinge member to facilitateadjustment of its yieldable elements so as to insure tight sealingyieldable contact between the door and the door frame and to compensatefor any strain due to icing or other conditions which may tend toprevent uniform sealing. It is, therefore, an object of the presentinvention to provide a novelly constructed, rugged, yieldable overlaphinge of the character referred to.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a hinge structurewith novel means to enable tight sealing contact between a refri'gerator door and the door frame.

Another object is to provide a hinge strut ture for a door, with meanstherein to compen' sate for gasket wear or for the accumulation of icearound the opening to be sealed by said door.

Another object is to provide a hinge structure of the characterdescribed with novel spring means at the pivotal connection between thelink and hinge member to normally urge the free end of the link awayfrom said member.

Another object is to provide a hinge structure of the characterdescribed with yieldable connections to permit and to compensate forrelative movement between related parts resulting from unusual pressuresresisting opening and closing of a door supported thereby.

Another object is to provide a link for a hinge of the characterreferred to, with a socket or sockets in its free end to receive one ormore compensating springs.

Another object is to provide a yieldable hinge structure with novelmeans to adjust the relative normal positions of the hinge member andconnecting link.

Other and further objects of my invention not at this time particularlyenumerated will be made more apparent as the description proceeds,especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawingswherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the hinge assembly showing itmounted on a door and door frame.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the hinge 2 shown in Fig. '1,showing the door and door frame in section. v

Fig. 3 is a side 'ele'va-tional view, showing parts broken away, of amodified form of yieldable hinge construction.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the hinge assembly illustratedin Figs. 1 and 2 includes a mounting bracket II, a hinge member I2, anda link I3. The bracket II preferably is fabricated as by casting and itincludes a mounting plate I4 suitably apertured to receive anchoringscrew bolts I5 constituting means by which the mounting bracket isfirmly secured to the face of the door frame l6 closely adjacent to anopening I 'I. Although only one hinge assembly and but a fragment of thedoor frame I6 is illustrated, it should be understood two or more hingeassemblies are used and that said frame extends "around the opening H.The bracket II has a pair of spaced apart integral lugg I8 havingaligned apertures to receive therethrough a p'ir'itle bolt I9.

The door opening I! is adapted to be closed by a door '2I which isprovided on its marginal edges with an overhanging flange 22, carryingon its bottom face a sealing gasket 23. When the door is in closedposition, the flange 22 overlies the marginal area of the door frame I6with the gasket 23 firmly compressed between the flange 2 2 and saidframe It to thereby provide a hermetic seal around the door opening.

The hinge member I2 is firmly secured, as by means of screw bolts 24, tothe outside face of the door 2'I closely adjacent to the edge adapted tobe hingedly connected to the door frame so as to permit the door to beswung into open and closed positions. As best shown in Fig.- 1, thehinged member I2 consists of an elongated strapl'i-ke member, preferablyformed by casting, and is provided adjacent its end disposed nearest tothe edge of the door with a pair of upstanding transversely spaced apartears 25, each of which is suitably apertured to receive therethrough apintle bolt 26.

The link I3 preferably is formed by casting and it is provided with sidewalls 21 formed with suitable boss enlargements 28 and 29 on theirinside face, which boss enlargements are provided with aligned aperturesfor purposes to be described presently. The boss enlargements 29, at oneend of the link I3, are pivotally mounted upon pintle bolt I9 so as tothereby hingedly connect said end of the link to the mounting bracketII. The boss enlargements 28, which are located intermediate the ends ofthe link I3,

are pivotally mounted on the hinged member l2 between the ears by meansof the pintle bolt 26 extending through said ears and said bossenlargements. It should be obvious at this time that the door 21 ishingedly mounted securely along one side of the door frame It and thatit may be swung into open and closed positions about the pintle bolt 19.

Means is provided adjacent the free end of the link l3 to afford ayieldable connection between said link and the hinge member 12. Thisyieldable connection is provided so as to afford means whereby the doormay be adjusted relative to the door frame to compensate for gasket wearor for the accumulation of ice or other foreign matter on the doorframe.

As best shown in Fig. 2 the free end of the link I3 is provided with anenlarged boss-like protuberance 3| suitably recessed on its opposedfaces to provide a pair of sockets 32 and 33 separated by anintermediate wall 34. A compression spring 35 is arranged with its upperend located within the socket 33 and its lower end fitted over a boss 36formed integrally with the hinge member 12. This spring tends to urgethe free end of the link away from the hinge member l2. A secondcompression spring 31 is arranged in the socket 32. A washer or cap 38is seated upon the spring 31. This washer and the intermediate wall 34are suitably apertured to receive freely therethrough a bolt 39, havingits threaded end engaged in a tapped opening 42 extending through theboss 36. The tension of the springs 35 and 31 may be easily and quicklyadjusted by means of the bolt 39.

The hinge assembly described hereinabove is such that any obstructionpresent on the door frame of a kind that will interfere with tightsealing contact between said frame and the door gasket 23 is compensatedfor through the yieldable connection between the hinge member 12 and thefree end of link [3. Gasket wear also is compensated for by adjustmentof the tension of the springs 35 and 31. The spring 31 functions toabsorb shock arising from any sudden blow applied to the door or to thehinge either while the door is in it open position or in its closedposition, thus minimizing the possibilities of breakage.

The hinge assembly illustrated in Fig. 3 is substantially like thatshown in Figs. 1 and 2. In this embodiment of the invention, the freeend of the link l3a i provided with a single socket 32a to receivespring 31. A bolt 39 extends through the spring 31 and the bottom wall34a of the socket, and has its threaded end threadingly secured intapped boss 35 on the hinge member [2. The spring 31 functions in thesame manner as the spring 31 of the device previously described.Movement of the free end of the link I3a away 4 from the hinge member I2is, in this embodiment, obtained by the provision of a coil spring 45which is arranged around pintle bolt 26 and has one of its ends 46bearing against the bottom face of the link l3a and its other end 41bearing against the top face of the hinge member 12.

Although exemplary forms of the present invention have been described inthe foregoing specification and shown in detail in the accompanyingdrawing, it should be apparent that the invention is capable ofembodying a wide variety of modifications without departing from thespirit of the invention or the scope of the arranged claims.

I claim:

1. A hinge for doors adapted to close and seal an opening through a doorframe comprising, a bracket adapted to be secured to the door frame, ahinge member adapted to be secured to the face of the door adjacent oneedge thereof, a hinge link overlying the hinge member, said link havingone end extending beyond the said edge of the door, a pin pivotallyconnecting said projecting end of the link to the bracket, meanspivotally connecting the hinge member to the link intermediate the linkends, a spring between the free end of the link and the hinge member tourge said free end away from the hinge member, a bolt to limit relativemovement between the free link end and the hinge member, and springmeans between said free link end and the bolt to afford a compressibleconnection between said link and bolt.

2. A hinge for doors adapted to close and seal an opening through a doorframe comprising, a bracket adapted to be secured to the door frame, ahinge member adapted to be secured to the face of the door adjacent oneedge thereof; a hinge link overlying the hinge member, said link havingone end extending beyond the said edge of the door, a pin pivotallyconnecting said projecting end of the link to the bracket, meanspivotally connecting the hinge member to the link intermediate the linkends, a spring between the free end of the link and the hinge member tourge said free end away from the hinge member, and a bolt to limitrelative movement between the free link end and the hinge member. ROBERTE. SLOPA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number

